Book Review: Embers in a Dark Frost

Media Type: Ebook
Title: Embers in a Dark Frost
Author: Kelly Keaton
Publisher: Self-published
Pages: Ebook; 185
Release Date: November 8, 2012
Source: Author
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Genre: Paranormal Fiction

HDB Rating: 4 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Readers who enjoy a strong female character and world building.

Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N

The Fire Breathers have come. The Underworld calls. A choice must be made…

With her feared half blood and flame-colored hair, DEIRA D’ANU is a constant reminder of human betrayal and the war that claimed the light from Innis Fail. Now, darkness and frost creep across the land, strengthening the Lord of the Underworld. War is imminent—an allegiance with the Fire Breathers is vital. When their champion, Balen, sees Deira, he believes she is the key to finding the light and stopping the dark frost….

But the Underworld calls to Deira, tempting her to turn her back on a world that never cared and betray the champion willing to sacrifice everything to keep her safe and save his world from darkness.

What first drew me to Kelly Keaton’s Embers in a Dark Frost was that it seemed to walk the line between YA and Adult fiction. I’ve recently discovered that this is New Adult. YA at heart, with older characters and even some sex. I have to say, I rather liked this! I quickly settled in for the read.

Keaton sweeps the reader away into a land rich with myth and magic. There are elements of Celtic legend here, wrapped up in a world on the brink of being lost. I loved that Deira’s life wasn’t perfect. Caught between two different worlds, she just never seemed to fit in. That is, until Balen.

Ah, Balen. I will swoon here and now. Rough on the exterior but with so much heart, he’s s character that is hard not to fall for. The relationship between Balen and Deira was wonderful. Each of them had so much depth, and I appreciated that they didn’t automatically fall for one another with no reason. Balen proves himself. Oh yes he does.

Perhaps my favorite part about Embers in a Dark Frost was that Deira isn’t a strong heroine or a wilting flower. She’s both. That doesn’t happen often in books like this. There is no hard, fast distinction between the two halves of Deira. She is both strong and weak, and it makes her decisions all the more believable. I felt for her.

Despite a few minor issues, I fell in love with this book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys getting lost in a rich and magical world. I will be eagerly waiting for more.